Musings of a bodybuilding n00b. [Forum Archive]

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Musings of a bodybuilding n00b.

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Posted by: DOMS

I've been at bodybuilding (in a organized way) for about 2 months.

I try to pick up information where I can get it, magazines, books, online. There aren't many people I can ask for advice in my daily life. I'm a programmer. In my line of work most people list bodybuilding right after asking Liv Tyler out for a date.

So many of the things that n00b bodybuilders go through comes as quite a shock to me.

For instance, I'm completely surprised as how much of my body I "feel". I've since learned that fat has little or no nerves and that muscle has quite a few nerves. One might almost say "too many nerves". It's a bit disconcerting to feel more of myself as I go out for a jog.

Another thing about bodybuilding that I've had to get used too is how I feel after a workout. Picture this: I've just done several sets of chest, biceps, and forearm exercises to failure. I've just pushed my bench press to new heights. Now image that a five year old girl could beat that crap out of me if she were so inclined. I've just benched the total weight of a car, but now have the functional strength of Urkel.

I've also come to realize that I have new limitation right after a good session. For instance, there is no way in hell that I could touch my Adam’s apple. Not even if my life depended on it.

Lastly, for this post, I like how a good arm workout can turn something simple, like shaving, into a suicide attempt...

Cheers,
Conrad

Posted by: gwcaton

Great first entry ! Welcome and good luck !

What are your goals ? stats ? your current workout and diet . Inquiring minds need to know .

Posted by: kvyd

YEah post it up.

Posted by: DOMS

Thanks for the welcome Gary!

Goals? Stats? All of a sudden, I feel as if I might have missed something in this "bodybuilding" thing...

I'm around 210 pounds with (a guess of) 20% body fat. I've a small spare tire. I lost quite a bit of fat in the last 2 months but my weight hasn't changed at all. As a matter of fact, it may have gone up a few pounds. So, I'm 210 pounds at 5'10". My goals are to stay around that weight with about 12% body fat. As to how far I want to take it, in the words of Ren Hoek: "I want large pectoral muscles!”

This simple goal is subject to change. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Must be 18 years or older to play.

As you can see, I've yet to quantify what I really want to achieve. It's like when I'm writing software for non-technical people. They don't really know *exactly* what they want until I start writing the program. I really am a n00b, but the one thing I do know is that I enjoy working out; pain and all.

What type of stats are you talking about, measurements or weights?

As for a diet, I don't have one. As much as I like working out, I dislike dieting. That's not to say that I won't diet, I just need a pointer or two to start.

Cheers,
Conrad

Posted by: DOMS

Even though I had to cut my workout short (only half), I feel pretty good. I woke up late this morning, 0600 instead of 0530. Starting this last Monday I've tried something new in my workouts. Instead of doing 4 set of 8 reps (twice per muscle/group), I do 4 sets until failure so that the total number of reps falls into the 8 to 12 rep range. On small muscles, such as the serratus anterior, I do an average of 18 reps. Man, oh, man do I feel the burn.

A couple of notes on my workouts:

I workout at home using free weights. I rest for one minute between sets and exercises. I work three muscles/groups, twice per day, for a total of 24 sets. I workout 6 days a week, taking Sunday to rest.

Today’s workout included:

Back, hamstrings, and serratus anterior

Any pointers would be most appreciated. I'm pretty much going it alone. Which is why I post here, so I'm not completely without competent input. Much like Robin Williams said, when it comes to bodybuilding "I'm like Ray Charles in the Louvre. I've got no clue!".

Cheers,
Conrad

Posted by: Monolith

Lookin good, bud.

Let me tell you that youre far from the typical n00b - youre actually taking the time to ask, learn, and journal... most people stick to the training/diet/supplement forums with posts like "HEY WHAT I DO FOR BIG BICEPS???"

Posted by: gwcaton

yeah , what Mono said ! And he knows his stuff .

Posted by: DOMS

Thanks for the kind words guys! It's most appreciated.

Oh yeah, and how do I get my biceps to be bigger?

Posted by: DOMS

I couldn't get my lazy but out of bed this morning, so I did my workout in the evening.
Today was
shoulders - Arnold Press & Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise
calf - Calf Raises (twice)
abs - Twist Crunchies & side crunchies

Calf Raises are amazing. After 4 sets to failure I'd have given anything to lie down and die, but...I couldn't stop hopping around...

I think I may have a genetic defect, I don't think I was born with ab muscles.

My "fun with excercises" is almost over. After this week I going to stick with basic (mostly) non-isolating excercise and try and bulk up. I picked up a copy of Arnie's book (the modern bodybuilding book). That's great stuff. I'm going to give his basic workout (slightly modified for equipment that I have access to) a try. I'll post it this weekend for any advice.

We'll of for a jog. Have a great night!

Conrad

Posted by: DOMS

Wow!

I had the only person I know come over and workout with me. He's in much better shape then I am so I felt compelled to not fall too far behind. This resulted in my best workout so far. I made arrangements with him to workout together twice a week. This is a much as our schedules will allow.

We worked the:

Biceps - EZ Bar Curls & Alternating dumbbell curls
Triceps - Modified Skullcrushers & Kickbacks
Serratus Anterior - Incline Shoulder Raises (twice)

We'll off to try to get eight hours of sleep.

Cheers,
Conrad

Posted by: DOMS

I've written up a work out routine based on a beginners plan in Arnold's book. Here it is:

Note: unless otherwise specified, all exercises are done 4 sets to failure with a goal of 8 – 12 reps averaged over the four sets.

Monday & Thursday (total sets: 28)
Morning (sets: 11)
Back
- Pullovers
- Bent-over Rows

Power Training
- Deadlifts (3 sets to failure with a goal of 10, 6, and 4 reps)

Evening (sets: 17)
Chest
- Bench Press
- Incline Press
- Flies

Abdominals:
- Crunchies (5 sets of 25)

Tuesday & Friday (total sets: 43)
Morning (sets: 19)
Shoulders
- Barbell Clean and Press
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises

Power Training
- Heavy Upright Rows (3 sets to failure with a goal of 10, 6, and 4 reps)
- Push Presses (3 sets to failure with a goal of 6, 4, and 2 reps)

Abdominals
- Reverse Crunchies (5 sets of 25)

Evening (sets: 24)
Upper Arms
- Standing Barbell Curls
- Seated Dumbbell Curls
- Skull Crushers (modified)
- Standing Triceps Extensions with Barbell

Forearms
- Wrist Curls
- Reverse Wrist Curls (with EZ bar)

Wednesday & Saturday (total sets: 27)
Morning (sets: 17)
Thighs
- Squats
- Lunges
- Leg Curls

Calves
- Standing Calf Raises (5 sets to failure, with a goal of about 15 per set)

Evening (sets: 11)
Power Training
- Straight-Leg Deadlifts (3 sets to failure with a goal of 10, 6, and 4 reps)
- Good Mornings (3 sets to failure with a goal of 10, 6, and 4 reps)

Abdominals
- Side Crunchies (5 sets of 25)

As you can see, I've decided to do a split routine. It may be a bit much, but I'll just have to try it and see. I figure it's better to aim high and have to cut back some than to aim low and work under my potential.

On a side note: I did a few measurements last night:
chest: 43"
upper arm: 14"
thigh: 23"
calf: 16.25"

I'm not really sure how these measurements...uhhhh...measure up, but there they are. I've no clue how to measure my waist.

I'm really looking forward to this!

Cheers,
Conrad

Posted by: Monolith

Thats a helluva routine... looks solid, though. You'll be bigger than your friend in no time.

Posted by: DOMS

Thanks for the encouragement monolith!

I just did the first half of today's workout. More to the point, I did my first "powerlift" exercise (deadlifts). Egads, that's a bit different from my normal exercises. I was shaking at the end of the second set!

I'm glad that I decided to turn the above workout into a split routine. It would have been too much otherwise.

I realized I've never written down my size and weight! I'm a tad under 5'10" and weight about 210 lbs. Oh yeah, and the measurements that I gave above were done cold.

Cheers,
Conrad

Posted by: Paynne

Quote:

Originally Posted by cfs3

As you can see, I've yet to quantify what I really want to achieve. It's like when I'm writing software for non-technical people. They don't really know *exactly* what they want until I start writing the program.

Oh yeah, it's the typical software developers nightmare. You know the "bring me a rock" story?

Good luck on the workout!

Posted by: DOMS

I've never heard of that story. I did a search on Google for the but couldn't find it. Can you post it here? By the way, are you a programmer too?

I'm starting to get an idea of what I want from my workouts though. For example, in the next two month I wan't to put at least two inches on my arms (right now they are 14"). I think that's a reasonable goal.

And thanks for the support!

Posted by: DOMS

Ouch.

They say, "those that love you love will hurt you the most". Bodybuilding can be a cruel mistress.

I've just finished my second day of my new workout routine. It is tough, but like so many other things in life, the more you have to work for it, the more meaning it has.

I'm glad that I started taking creatine when I did. Even though I'm working harder than I've ever worked before I don't feel the burn of lactic acid as bad as I did before.

It's amazing what I find myself focusing on to keep going when I want to give up...

I've done the Monday and Tuesday workouts, which you can find above, but I'm still too embarassed to list the actual weights used.

Tomorrow I get to start my lower body workouts. w00t!

Cheers
Conrad

Posted by: DOMS

There's a certain amount of solace to be had from bodybuilding.

When I started bodybuilding I knew that, given the right amount of effort, that they physical quality of my life would improve. I had no idea that you could find refuge from the more unpleasant parts of life in it. There's peace in the simplicity of moving around slabs of metal. The mental portion of my life has also improved due to bodybuilding. One has to wonder why you never read about that benefit in myriad sources of media.

In any case, on to the workouts!

Yesterday I did three sets of deadlifts with twice the amount that I've ever used. I was able to do about 60% of my normal workout. It makes me wonder if I'm not pushing myself hard enough. So, yesterday I did some powerlift deadlifts and today I have gluts that feel as if someone has taken a bat to them. Hah, I guess I can also say that bodybuilding is also a pain in the ass!

I've also noticed that my ab workouts are getting easier. My workouts call for about 125 reps per day. Initially, I started to hurt around the 15th rep but now I don't feel much pain until the final few reps. Perhaps I should add a few reps per set?

Oh well, back to the grind...

Posted by: Monolith

Quote:

Originally Posted by cfs3

There's a certain amount of solace to be had from bodybuilding.

When I started bodybuilding I knew that, given the right amount of effort, that they physical quality of my life would improve. I had no idea that you could find refuge from the more unpleasant parts of life in it. There's peace in the simplicity of moving around slabs of metal. The mental portion of my life has also improved due to bodybuilding. One has to wonder why you never read about that benefit in myriad sources of media.

Well said. The simplicity of the movements, and the calm between sets juxtaposed with the rage/chaos as you try to push out those final few reps is a unique experience. You could call it a form of meditation.

Posted by: DOMS

Yak, yak, yak. Blah, blah, blah. The talking never stops during my workouts.

Of course, I workout at home. Alone...

It amazes me just how much self-talking I do during a workout. There's the expected, "one more!" and "push, push, push!" In addition to those affirmations, I find myself using, "Action! Action! Action!” It's a phrase that I picked up from an article I read about Arnold. It simply means do it no matter what. Do it no matter what the extraneous factors. Simply, do it. It seems to work well for me.

Conversely, I also use a lot of negative self talk. I find myself trying to talk myself out of working out. I'm not sure why. I really enjoy working out. Like monolith said, it's a form of meditation. The pain doesn't bother me either. I revel in the pain. I see it as a tribute that must be paid to get the body that desire. And unlike taxes, I gladly and willing pay it. So why do I try to talk myself into failure so much? I've read various books and articles on motivational psychology and I think that It may, possibly, have an understanding of why I do it. It turns out that many people, a great many people, have a fear of success. I've started to see some nice gains in my physique and perhaps that upsets me on some level.

My main goal for taking up bodybuilding wasn't to get a nice body or to catch the girls' eyes. These do matter to me, but the main reason was to prove I could do something, anything, and achieve great results. You'll know if you fail at bodybuilding and you'll know if you succeed. I'm really starting to succeed and perhaps my "fear of success" is starting to kick in.

Nearly everyone feels comforted living in their ruts. That's why it's called a "comfort zone". The funny thing is that after a while, it's not really all that comfortable. But the vast majority of people will stay there. But once you learn that you can succeed, any for of comfort that you enjoyed in your rut goes away. Again, maybe this is where I'm at.

I'm not sure. But just as the weight must increase in my workouts, the negative self-talk must decrease.

Well, on to the more mundane part of my workout.

I've just finished the first week of my new workout routine. It's been interesting. The first few days were hard, but it seems to be getting a bit easier; if only on the psychological front.

I've found that I really enjoy doing power Deadlifts. It's a great lower body workout (and a bit of the upper too).

Well, off to do some programming.

Cheers.
Conrad

Posted by: kvyd

Hey, I know you said you hated dieting. But could you give an idea of what you typically eat.

Posted by: DOMS

Quote:

Originally Posted by kvyd

Hey, I know you said you hated dieting. But could you give an idea of what you typically eat.

I eat pretty much what I want but I do try to eat right a little. My breakfast is usaully a begal. My meals throughout the day are usually based on a potato or rice. I eat a lot of chicken. I shy away from things like chips and dairy products (other than cream cheese). Don't get my wrong though, my diet isn't much of a diet. I probaby take in around 3500 calories a day. Even though I eat so bad, I still lose about two pounds of fat a week (around the waist anyway).

If I may ask, why the interest?

Posted by: kvyd

I was just curious... Diet plays a big part in this whole "sport"

Posted by: DOMS

I think that bodybuilding is turning me into a hypochondriac.

Every time I get some sort of pain, my brain starts to freak out. Could it just be a bit of pain in my deltoids? No, it’s a failing rotator cuff. Stress the hamstrings where they tie into the knee. It’s a pulled ligament.

Personally, I think it’s my negative-self talk is out to get me. What? Why are you staring at my like that?

Anywho…

I’m still keeping to my workout. Man how I love it. Last night I did a biceps/triceps workout. The pump was incredible. It felt great. I can only image what it must feel like for the Ronnie Colemens of the world.

Bodybuilding: one of the best kept secrets in sports.

I’ve decided to start dieting. Not so much to lose weight but make sure that my body has what it needs to build muscles. Thanks kvyd!

Posted by: DOMS

Woohoo!

I went out and purchased a squat rack! Squats will be a hell of a lot easier now.

Now what I need is a power cage so that my workouts can be a little less life-and-death. Either that or I can just play that 1960s Star Trek mano-a-mano combat song as mood music.

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